The present invention relates to an improved canopy mounting system for a boat and more particularly to a mounting system that uses a receiving channel to which is attached a canopy having locking tabs thereon. The present invention discloses a mounting system that is easy to use, easy to install, long lasting and watertight.
Typically, a boat canopy is attached to the windshield of a boat by using snaps. A series of spaced male snap portions are secured to the boat header and an equal number of spaced female snap portions are secured to the edge of the boat's canopy. Various examples of snap fasteners are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,937,652; 2,961,725; and 3,367,349.
There are several problems with the use of snaps. One problem is the difficulty in fastening the canopy to the header. On most boats, the canopy has to be pulled tightly in the direction of the header and while keeping tension on the canopy the snaps have to be snapped. Another problem with snaps is their tendency to pull through the canopy because of poor stress distribution. As the canopy is used the snaps begin to pull through the material which eventually requires replacement of the canopy. A further problem is the appearance of the snaps along the header. The snaps are considered by some to be unsightly, especially when used on newer stylish boats with their sleek aerodynamic designs. Further, during installation and use, movement of the snaps can mar the finish of the header which is unacceptable. There is also a problem with galvonic corrosion of the snaps and the header since they are typically made of different metals.
To overcome the problems associated with snaps, there have been attempts to develop snapless systems, but these have met with little success due to inherent problems in their design. One such attempt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,657 issued in 1967 to Singleton. This mounting system uses a header that has a groove at the top which is adapted to receive the top or canopy. The canopy has a marginal strip that is adapted to fit snugly in the groove with the canopy fabric projecting outwardly from the marginal strip over the header and then rearwardly. A problem with this type of mounting assembly is the need to tuck the marginal strip, which extends across the width of the canopy, underneath the header and into the groove. Inserting the strip in this way is tedious and difficult. Additionally, if the tension on the top is relaxed, the marginal strip can fall out of the grove; therefore, the top must always remain taut.
Another example of a snapless header assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,419 issued in 1965 to Lewis. Lewis is similar to Singleton in that it requires the lateral edge of the canopy to be tucked underneath the header into a groove, a similarly tedious process. Lewis discloses a header that fits on the edge of the boat's windshield and extends outwardly and forwardly of the windshield. A locking channel is formed underneath the outwardly protruding header and includes a rounded portion, an accurate portion and a arcuately shaped lip. A second channel is formed forwardly of the locking channel. This second channel includes a rounded portion, an arcuately shaped lip and a downwardly facing shoulder. A flexible locking strip is provided for insertion into the locking channel and the second channel. The flexible strip has a generally arcuate portion ending in a downwardly turned lip portion and an inwardly projecting rib.
To fasten the canopy to the windshield, the front edge of the canopy is pulled forwardly and stretched over the upper edge of the windshield. The flexible lip portion is flexed downwardly and outwardly to allow it to be tucked under the header and pushed into the locking channel sufficiently so that the lip portion is received in the rounded portion and overlaps the upper edge of the locking channel lip. Upward pressure and backward pressure is then applied to the lip and canopy to allow the rib to enter the outer edge of the second channel and engage the shoulder.
As stated earlier, fastening a boat top to the windshield using the Lewis method is tedious and relatively difficult. It should be remembered that the flexible locking strip extends across the width of the canopy and therefore the entire length of the locking strip must be tucked underneath the header and pushed into the locking channel. Also, as with Singleton, the top must remain tensioned with respect to the header to keep the lip in place and the top fastened. A further disadvantage is that the header is unsightly. In order to get the necessary leverage to fasten the canopy, Lewis requires the locking portion to extend outwardly from the windshield. This design is unacceptable on today's sleek boats.